Start to Finish

Tools

Materials

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Introduction

Smooth-top stoves have a great modern look and can double as extra counter space in a small kitchen. When you’re shopping for a new range, they will also tell you that they are easy to clean. Don’t believe it. Sure, you can give it a spritz with an all-purpose cleaner to remove the crumbs and a smudge or two, but if you are inclined to actually use your stove, it will become obvious pretty quick that even the smallest drip from a saucepan stands out without a proper cleaning.

Wiping down the stove after every use helps a lot, but it is way too easy to wander off while waiting for those burners to finally cool down and cooked on sugar becomes an immediate eyesore.

Getting your smooth cook top back to its showroom shine will admittedly take a little elbow grease, but it doesn’t take much money.

Step 1

Before

Before

Head to the Pantry

Instead of spending money on expensive products, white vinegar and baking soda will get the job done. Although combining baking soda and vinegar will produce that great science fair volcano fizz, it isn’t the most effective way to clean. We will use these powerhouses of cleaning separately.

Step 2

Wipe Down With Vinegar

With all burners cool, spray the surface of your glass top with white vinegar and wipe with a damp cloth to remove any surface debris and degrease the surface. Any surface cleaner will get the job done here, but vinegar is inexpensive and is always on hand.

Step 3

Cover With Baking Soda

Sprinkle baking soda over the entire top. Baking soda is a great natural cleaner because this mild alkali helps breakdown grit and grime more easily and the mild abrasive quality will make scrubbing more effective without scratching the glass.

Step 4

Wet Down a Towel

Fill a bucket (or the sink) with hot water and drop an old bath towel in to dampen.

Step 5

Cover Stovetop With Towel

Wring out the towel and place it on stovetop to completely cover the surface. If you prefer, two smaller towels may be used. Leave the towel in place for about 15 minutes to soak and loosen the crud that has accumulated.

Step 6

Scrub

Use elbow grease and the mild abrasive that is baking soda to clean the stove. Rinse and wring your towel frequently and scrub until there is no baking soda left on the stove and the surface is as clean as you think you can get it by scrubbing.

Step 7

Scrape

No matter how careful we try to be, burnt on sauce or jam is inevitable on a glass top stove. While the stove is still damp, very carefully scrape any stubborn burned on crud off using a razor blade. Work one spot at a time with even motion to avoid scratching the glass. A graspable razor blade holder is highly recommended for easy, effective and safe use.

Step 8

Polish

Finish up with one more pass with the vinegar and damp cloth and then buff with a dry cloth to make it shine.

With so many moving parts and water seals, dishwashers can break or leak in a lot of places and damage the floor underneath. To simulate a dishwasher disaster, we had a tanker truck flood our dishwasher with more than 800 gallons of water.